Cathedral Shelter is Notified of $44,896 In State Funding Cuts
August 1, 2008
Less than 24 hours after protestors urged State legislators in late July to restore funding that Gov. Rod Blagojevich slashed from critical services for the poor, social service agencies statewide were struck with the definite blow of dreadful cuts-backs.
Cathedral Shelter of Chicago was no exception when it was issued an alarming notification that the Illinois Department of Human Services was reducing funding for the agency by $44,896 on July 23.
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, funding reductions were necessary to comply with State law, which mandates a balanced budget.
“This is not the time to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable,” said the Rev. Glenn Chalmers, Executive Director of Cathedral Shelter, “Lines get longer for basic needs…The waiting list grows for our addiction services and supportive housing. We see the need day in and day out.”
IDHS reports making over $37,000,000 in line item reductions for Illinois addiction treatment programs, which include case management, early intervention, community intervention, childcare, detox, recovery home, criminal justice, youth and addiction treatment services.
For Cathedral Shelter, home to over 60 residents through its recovery halfway house and supportive housing program, this may spell out “Doors Closed” to dozens of homeless men and women who are trying to recover from addiction and get their lives together.
Chester Miles, House Manager of Higgins House, Cathedral Shelter’s 55-year-run halfway house and the state’s first residential treatment facility for men in recovery, expressed additional concern for client morale if the agency is forced to lay off counselors.
“Once you’ve lost a counselor, not only are you unable to provide the full service hours that a client needs,” said Chester, who himself was once a Higgins House program participant, “but clients have now lost the person with whom they have already shared their most intimate details, the person who they trusted and confided in most—that could be devastating.”
Supporters are asked to call their legislators’ and the governor’s office immediately and urge them to restore funds to the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse.
